Former NASA astronaut and U.S. Air Force Col. Eric Boe, also a member of the Texas Wing of Civil Air Patrol, will be returning to space soon as part of commercial test crew for Boeing. A former Spaatz cadet from Georgia, Boe will serve aboard the Boeing Starliner, which is expected to take flight in mid-2019.

In this in-depth feature in the New York Times, Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, Civil Air Patrol's national commander and chief executive officer, offers his perspective about this issue and tells how CAP is fostering interest in aviation-related careers. His comments can be found toward the end of the article, which was written Christine Negroni, a noted aviation and travel journalist.